These are the Challenges of Glass Recycling
Across Canada, glass recycling is one of the most common recycling practices there is yet it comes with many challenges. It is notoriously abrasive on recycling equipment, the weight of glass is high meaning transportation costs are equally high, and attempting to separate it into single-stream is sometimes near impossible. In some parts of Canada, the economics of recycling glass don’t always balance out as well as one might hope. The future of glass recycling is heavily dependent upon improving existing processes and creating a more economically favorable environment for it.
Throughout decades of increasing popularity in recycling, equipment has been continually improved upon. As more time passes, we are hopeful that glass recycling equipment can continue to progress and get better at handling the material. Collecting glass from neighborhoods across Toronto and the GTA, we know the amount of glass out there is significant. If we can successfully build the equipment needed to process it, there is no reason a long-term solution cannot be found. Current equipment can successfully process glass materials from used bottles through to new bottles, among other accomplishments. Needless to say, the wear and tear of glass on the equipment remains as an ongoing problem.
The weight of glass might never change however by creating localized processing facilities, transportation costs can not only be lowered but, in some cases, eliminated altogether. As a waste management company, dumpster rental company, and recycling company in Toronto, we have established strategic partnerships throughout the region to meet challenges akin to this. Local recycling process will be key moving forward to bringing Toronto to a zero waste reality and glass recycling processes are a hugely important part to that future. Throughout Ontario, more companies are coming to realize the power in localized processing.
Thirdly, the separation of glass into single-stream is a necessity to successfully recycling the material. When glass is collected mixed in with other recyclables, sorting it is not always easy. In many cases, it means more processing and higher costs. The future of glass recycling should get to single-stream, meaning glass that is completely separate from other recyclables and thereby collected separately. When glass is kept separate, it keeps it easier to keep clean and ready for processing. Needless to say, you don’t want glass to reach the end of the processing line mixed in with bottle caps, miscellaneous materials, and shredded paper.
There are additional challenges to glass recycling as well – including glass coming to facilities with labels, lids, and caps tagged on; lesser quality glass being mixed in alongside higher quality glass; and ‘breaking’ in the distribution chain being a common occurrence.
Due to the economics of glass recycling, some might see it as a material not worth recycling – this is not what we believe. At Core Mini Bins, we subscribe to the philosophy that if there is a way to recycle it, the effort should be made to do so.
Yes, glass recycling comes with its challenges however as a material, it has significant long-term potential in terms of reuse. As we move increasingly towards waste reduction and ‘zero waste’, glass recycling has its place. Today’s recycling processes dedicated to glass recycling evidently need improvement. While it might take years to get there, as a Toronto waste management and recycling company, we are confident that we can get there as a city and province.
